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Conclave director signs Brad Pitt for long-awaited adaptation of The Riders

Edward Berger will helm the Ridley Scott-produced screen version of the 1994 novel by Tim Winton, which has been in development in various incarnations for 25 years

Edward Berger, whose papal thriller Conclave won best film at the Baftas and was nominated for eight Oscars, has signed on to direct Brad Pitt in a big-screen version of Tim Winton’s novel The Riders. The novel is set in December 1987, with key moments referencing real-life news events, including the resignation of the longest-serving premier of Queensland and the Queen Street massacre a week later, in which nine people died. A film version of the book has been in the works for 25 years, with assorted cast members linked to various projects including Sam Worthington, Timothy Spall, Charles Dance, Ronan Keating, Mark Strong and Richard E Grant.

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